It sounds like the perfect gig: Gather around a table with a group of like-minded individuals while stewards bring out flights of free beer for you to sample.

But being a beer judge isn't all oyster crackers and happy hours, as I found out recently when I helped judge the third annual Denver International Beer Competition.

It's hard work to critically evaluate and critique so many beers; constantly swirling and sniffing and sipping for hours on end. It can be quite tedious to identify fleeting taste and aroma descriptors, plus the pressure of wanting to offer brewers an honest and accurate appraisal of their beers.

Most of my fellow judges are certified beer judges who have completed a rigorous examination process through the national Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP), along with some industry professionals and media folk like myself.

To become certified, aspiring judges take a three-part examination offered by the BJCP that includes an online component to screen prospective candidates, a tasting evaluation of six beers and a written examination.

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There are currently 4,237 active judges in the program, according to the BJCP website, including 178 in Colorado. Of the 335 examinees who have taken the exam so far this year, only 98 have successfully become registered judges.

Sanctioned beer competitions are judged blind, meaning the judges have no knowledge of who made the beer, and each entry is evaluated according to how closely it fits with established style guidelines.

Jim Homer, a certified national beer judge, lead the discussion at our table as we worked our way through the two categories of beer styles we judged that day. Listening to him talk about beer, it's clear that he's developed the sophisticated understanding of beer styles, brewing techniques and acute sensory evaluation skills needed to be a successful beer judge.

In fact, Homer took the very first BJCP Beer Judge Exam when it was offered in 1985 and once served as co-director of the BJCP. He's judged numerous competitions over the years, including the Great American Beer Festival, where he served as head judge for four years.

"Some of it can be learned by tasting, and some of it is innate ability," Homer says of learning to critically evaluate beer.

Hands-on tasting experience, knowledge of the brewing process and familiarity with various beer styles are the keys to doing well on the BJCP exam, he says, as well as to developing an enhanced appreciation of beer. The BJCP posts official style descriptions on its web site, along with notable commercial examples of each. It's also offered as a free smart-phone application.

When it comes to tasting and evaluating beers at home, Homer suggests limiting outside distractions and really taking time to focus on the beer, including its appearance, aroma and trying to pick out specific aspects in its flavor to see how they work together as a whole.

Then again, "there's a time for doing that and there's a time for just enjoying the beer," he says. And, as a beer judge, "you get to try a lot of great beers."

We tried a number of excellent beers while judging the competition. In the end, top-three finishers were chosen in each of 13 style categories and Jubel 2010, a winter seasonal released just once a decade by Deschutes Brewery, was designated as overall Best of Show. (Visit denverbeercomp.com for the full list of winning beers.)

Top-notch regional chefs will compete to create the best dishes to pair with Jubel 2010 and other winning beers during Pairsine, a food-and-beer pairing event held June 12 at the Omni Interlocken Resort in Broomfield and presented by Wine Country Network.

"The food-pairing event really sets this competition apart from the others," says beer writer Dan Rabin, who helped found the competition and organizes the judging. "The chefs gets very excited about it and they've come up with some really high-end dishes to pair with the beers in the past few years, and we expect the same this year."

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